Irrational
by myheartscontent
Summary: Because that's what love it. "It's not safe to be around him. He's insane. Accident or not, he's going to end up hurting you." NejiTen. Rated M. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**heartbeat: **Hello, everyone! Despite a KakaTen story I have to update as well, I was inspired and I just _had to_ write this story.

It's angsty, dark, somewhat gory but not really, sensual (later), dramatic, all that good stuff and some of that not so good stuff.

In short, it's rated M for a reason. You have been warned.

Enjoy!

**disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>IRRATIONAL 1<br>**_He shouldn't have said it.  
><em>_I warned him.  
><em>_I gave him a chance.  
><em>_He condemned himself._

* * *

><p><em>I was mad.<em>

He watched her eyes grow wet. One glistening tear escaped and dripped to the pristine, white floor below.

"Why?"

He turned his head like a stubborn child and tugged at his restraints half-heartedly – there was no use trying to break free; his chains weren't made of metal.

"Why?" she repeated, a little more loudly.

No answer. He looked down, admiring the bracelet she wore on her wrist, relishing the splash of color after days stuck in the same white-washed room. It was enough to drive a person crazy.

"Neji!" she shrieked hysterically. "What's happened to you?"

His noncommittal shrug obviously wasn't a good enough answer for her.

"Listen to me. Neji, listen to me," she repeated urgently, reaching out to touch his shoulder but recoiling at the last minute as if she were afraid he would lash out at her. Her fear was rightly justified.

_You're a monster._

"The police, they're coming soon," she whispered, her eyes darting around frantically. "They're going to question you. If you won't tell me the truth, fine. But do _not_ lie to the police, Neji. Neji, I don't know what's gotten into you. I can't believe you'd do something like that!"

He closed his eyes, struggling to pacify his slowly growing annoyance. Her nagging, conducted in an irritating voice, high and strained from worry, was starting to crawl under his skin and irk him in unpleasant ways.

_Shut up. Shut up. You don't know her._

"Hiashi-sama can't help you now," she continued quietly. "He's already done so much, convincing the police that you've always had mental issues and that you need help. He's already postponed your trial and talked to the boy's parents. Don't burden your family anymore, Neji. Think rationally."

He took a deep breath. "Where is she?"

"Gone."

"I swear, if you tell me she's dead…" He glared at her through his unkempt hair, "…if she's dead, I'll kill you, Hinata! Do you hear me? _I'll kill you!"_

He struggled against his constraints, forgetting that they were strong and made to hold against futile attempts. All he wanted to do was hurt the girl in front of him, his cousin, Hinata. Make her scream from the pain and beg for mercy. He wanted her to suffer.

_Shut up._

_Shut up._

_You're going to regret it._

Hinata jumped back and huddled against the wall, gazing fearfully into Neji's insane, bloodshot eyes as his fingers groped for her throat.

"N-Neji, no…she's not dead. She's…alive."

"Alive?" He barked, resisting the urge to laugh. "You told me she was _gone!"_

She shook her head vigorously, searching desperately for a believable lie. "No, no, no, she's alive. She's just…afraid."

"Afraid that he'll come back?" He stopped struggling and his bloodlust faded away. "She doesn't have to worry! I made sure he won't come back! He _can't _come back. Because. I. Killed. Him."

Hinata blinked away her tears. It broke her heart to see her beloved cousin like this. What had happened to him? What had caused him to snap? When had become so unstable, so volatile? He was a different person now, one whose common sense and logic were overridden by anger and hate.

"Neji, why?"

_He shouldn't have said it._

_I warned him._

_I gave him a chance._

_He condemned himself._

"Where is she?" he repeated slowly.

"I…I don't know."

Neji took a steadying breath and sunk to the floor, his chains – painted white – rattling as he moved. "He deserved it."

"Did he really deserve to die?" Hinata asked.

"Yes. Yes, he did."

"Neji, I…I disagree."

His breathing became labored and his eyes rolled in his head as he sprung to his feet and lunged for his cousin, once again forgetting about his handcuffed limbs. "Say that to my face, bitch! Say it to my face! Come closer and I'll hurt you! Fuck you! Fuck you! He deserved to die! I'm going to kill you, Hinata!"

"I'm sorry, Neji, so sorry," she whispered.

"You deserve to _die!"_

The door swung open and two men in uniform stepped in, both aiming their pistols directly at Neji's heart upon seeing him threatening Hinata. "You should leave, Hinata-san," the younger one instructed, his raven eyes never leaving Neji's white ones, his finger never moving from the trigger. "A psycho ward is no place for ladies."

"But, Sas-" Hinata started but he cut her off.

"Go."

She whimpered and exited the door, not even bothering to bid her damned cousin farewell.

_Bitch._

_She's a bitch._

_She whores around, you know._

The younger officer took a step closer to Neji, who was panting heavily and firing daggers with his crisp, pale eyes. "Hyuuga, you're an idiot."

Neji smirked, recognizing him. "Feeling hypocritical today, are we, Sasuke?"

"At least I didn't kill a man." Sasuke suddenly pressed the barrel of the gun against Neji's neck and loomed over him like a ferocious bird of prey. "I'll admit: I've made mistakes in my life but never at the cost of someone else's life." A memory flitted about his head but he pushed it away.

"Well, I wasn't about to kill myself, you see," Neji answered in an eerily calm voice that one might use to comment on the weather with.

Sasuke snarled and the other officer stepped closer, enclosing Neji. "You should have then! I would rather scum like you die than an innocent person!"

"He wasn't innocent! He deserved to die!" Neji roared, swinging his fist in a perfect arc and colliding with Sasuke's arm. He stumbled but caught himself.

"Why you…"

_Are you that stupid?_

_Are you picking a fight with _me_?_

Sasuke was stopped, however, by his senior, who placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "That's enough, Sasuke. Now, tell me, boy," he continued, addressing Neji, "we know you killed him. We just need to know why."

Neji pursed his lips and eyed the two officers as if they were toddlers playing some sort of make-believe game. "I already told you: he _deserved_ it. I simply gave him what he was asking for."

"We know for a fact that the deceased did not have a death wish. You are lying," the elder officer ended.

"I'm not!" shrieked Neji. "Why the fuck won't any of you believe me? He deserved to die! I gave him a chance to save himself but he was too much of a dumbass to do it! You should all _die._" Upon remembering that he was chained to a wall, he began gnawing at them, scraping his fingernails up and down the white metal, heeding to regard to his bleeding fingernails and aching teeth.

"Hey, Hyuuga, I can see why they put you in a psycho ward," Sasuke finally said after a good, long while.

The elder officer sighed and stood up. "I need to speak with the Director. He should know that we're going to need _her_ help. We're not done with you, boy. Think of it as a grace period. Your justice will be served in due time."

_You're a cold-hearted killer._

* * *

><p>The next time the door opened – it could have been minutes later, or days; Neji had no sense of time in that white, white room – he was surprised to see a tall, curvy woman enter, throwing her last reply to someone outside over her shoulder before shutting the door.<p>

He cocked his head curiously. What was this woman doing here? Her nimble fingers flipped through the papers on her baby blue clipboard and her dark hair curled softly at the ends.

_They're screwing with me._

Of course, they were. How clever of them to send a harmless, vulnerable-looking woman to try and seduce him into disclosing whatever shit they were set on obtaining. It was sick, really, the lengths authorities would go to in order to get what they wanted.

He watched her carefully, feigning indifference, as she straightened her navy blue sweater and smoothed her skirt. The color of her sweater was comforting to him – it reminded him of nighttime and cool breezes and happy dreams.

Ah, but those tricky bastards wanted to lull him into a sense of false security. Who was she really? An assassin? An undercover police chief? A mind reader hired to extrapolate his secrets?

She flashed him a quick smile, showing him her pearly whites. He was relieved to see that her canines weren't unusually pointed; it ruled out 'vampire'. He felt his hostile tension begin to subside.

"Hyuuga Neji," she finally said in a voice that surprised the shit out of him. It was neither gentle nor melodic, as he had assumed, but rather demanding and authoritative. He wondered how so much confidence could be squeezed into such a misleading character.

"Hyuuga Neji," she repeated firmly, stalking over and forcing him to look into her brown eyes, "when I address you, I want you to at least look at me so I know you're listening."

He slowly scanned the room for hidden cameras or crouching gunmen. When he saw none, he swiped at her leg and she stepped away coolly, watching small beads of scarlet blood form and trickle down her calf. Wordlessly, she took some tissues from her purse and dabbed at it gently.

Neji looked down at his now-bloodied fingernails – covered with _her_ blood – and felt nauseous.

"That was very rude of you, Neji-san," she chided, pressing tissues against her wound.

He had the sudden urge to offer to help but quickly killed that desire.

_You have no manners, no civility. _

_You lost all of it._

_You're a murderer now._

"You should apologize."

He ignored her order. "Who are you?"

She pressed her lips together into a thin line and furrowed her eyebrows thoughtfully. "Well, I'm not going to lie and tell you that I'm your friend. But honestly, I'm not your enemy either. I'm simply here to do my job because I was employed to do so."

"Job," he repeated.

"Yes. I'm a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is someone who-"

"I know," he interrupted her, "what a psychiatrist is. Those officers, the Director, everyone – they think I'm mentally unstable, don't they?"

She cleared her throat, wondering whether answering would be considered unprofessional. "…They believe I can…_help_ you through this traumatic period in your life."

"Who are you?" Neji echoed hollowly.

"My name? My name is Tenten," she answered after he nodded.

Neji peered up at her from his squatting position and noticed how her earrings flashed blindingly in the light, stinging his eyes. Growling like a caged animal, he shut his eyes but still saw the lights, like twinkling stars, a full moon, a car's headlights.

And then, right then and there in front of the person who was supposed to help him, he snapped.

Neji bellowed like a wounded buffalo and reached for her earrings, intent on ripping them from her ears, perhaps even bloodying her pretty face in the process. He only saw her take an unruffled step back and watch him closely with her hands on her hips before he heard the squeaks and groans of metal grinding against metal, his mind completely fogging over with a veil of deep, dark red.

Everything was red.

_Red like blood._

_His blood._

_His blood covered my fingers._

And someone screamed, egging on his bloodlust even more.

He felt his hands connect with flesh and he tore at it with his bare hands, biting at it, kicking, scratching like a deranged animal. Like a monster with no boundaries, he relished the feel of feeble squirming and fidgeting, his victim mustering up whatever strength they had left to make one last fruitless attempt to escape.

He laughed, _laughed_, like a madman and grinned down at his prey with groundless eyes glazed over with scarlet film and maniacal glint. The bloodied heap, what was once a body, looked achingly familiar.

Its face caught his attention the most.

Blue eyes, bright blue eyes.

Just like _hers._

They _were_ hers.

Realization stabbed him in the gut and he doubled over.

_I killed her._

* * *

><p>"Stop, you can't see him now. He's unstable and erratic. The last thing you want to do-"<p>

"He's my goddamn patient, Sakura!"

_More white walls. But this time, I'm in a bed._

_I glance at the sheets._

_White._

_I'm starting to detest that color._

"I know you're his psychiatrist but please, he's fucked himself up pretty badly. Let us treat him first before you do your mentally and physically grueling sessions."

_Treat?_

_There are blood stains on my clothes and bandages wrapped tightly around my fingers and up to my elbow._

_Did I do this to myself?_

"He's a danger to himself. Let me talk to him. No matter how many times you patch him up, nothing's going to come out of it if I don't speak with him."

"Tenten, I don't think you should push him. He might snap."

"You know what, Sakura? Screw you _and_ your good intentions. Now get out of the way before I _make_ you do it!"

Tenten managed to shove a reluctant Sakura out of the infirmary and locked the door with a satisfying _click_. She spun on her heel and strode over to Neji's bed – he was strapped in, of course.

"You're awake, Hyuuga. I see your eyelids twitching."

Neji cracked open an eye and didn't bother to continue his apparently-transparent guise. He frowned upon seeing her for the second time that day – luckily she had the good enough sense to remove her earrings – and he wondered why her skin was still unblemished, her cheeks still rosy, her skin still intact…why she was still alive.

"I thought I killed you," he whispered.

Her eyes widened for a moment, registering shock, before professionalism compelled her to appear apathetic. "I am alive and well, as you can see, Hyuuga. Have you always had hallucinations?"

"I _killed_ you," Neji insisted at once. "I felt your blood and saw your flesh being ripped apart by my bare hands."

Admittedly, Tenten was feeling rather queasy at the moment but it really was a walk in the park compared to the things that she had seen for _real_. "Perhaps you are reliving the murder you committed; is it safe for me to assume you did so because of your guilty conscience?"

"I am guilty of nothing," he murmured, his eyes seeming to see straight through her.

"You're confused."

Neji's dangerously befuddled mind ticked slowly. "You're a…psychiatrist."

She nodded, not quite understanding where he was going with this. "Yes, I am. I may be a contemporary, unorthodox, unconventional, more-damage-than-good psychiatrist but I always achieve gratifying results."

"You're not like the others," Neji said lightly.

"No, I'm different, a breath of fresh air, if you will."

_Breath of fresh air._

_I'm going out._

_I'll be back soon._

_All I want is a breath of fresh air._

"Are you?" He sounded skeptical, his words laced with underlying malice.

Tenten noticed his tensed muscles and contorted face and made a note not to reuse the phrase, although she would have to look in on why he made him act so. "No, I'm not."

"But you said you were," he countered.

She resisted her urge to sigh. He was not, by far, her most violent, unreachable, almost impossible case but they were talking in circles and getting nowhere. Her job was to rehabilitate him – pluck him from his murderous mindset and transform him into a safe, peaceful, law-abiding, _normal_ citizen – before he was too far gone to be saved.

"Neji, I want you to look at me." She waited until he begrudgingly turned his up and displayed his clear, white eyes. "Good, now I want you to repeat after me: 'Authorities are jackasses'."

"Excuse me?"

Tenten whirled around and clutched her heart upon seeing Sasuke, still suited up in his uniform, step into the infirmary and give her a onceover. "It's a psychological procedure," she explained without him asking, averting her eyes.

"What will that do to him? The Director didn't hire you to resent humankind even more," Sasuke reminded her in a harsh tone.

"Don't tell me how to do my job. Now get out of here, Uchiha," she mumbled threateningly. In his bed, Neji smirked at this woman telling the cocky bastard off. He needed someone to push him off his high horse and send him plummeting to the hard ground below.

"Sakura came to get me actually. She told me to control 'my lady'." Sasuke looked pleased.

Neji's eyes narrowed.

_His_ lady?

"It's her own damn fault for trying to get in the way of my work," Tenten snapped viciously. "Speaking of which, that's exactly what you're doing now. So leave or I'll come at you with a serrated knife." She held up said weapon for emphasis and Neji silently cheered her on.

"Fine. Just don't come home too late." Sasuke moved towards the door but stopped and turned around halfway through.

"What?" she demanded brusquely.

But his words were directed at Neji. "Hey, psycho, if you try anything, I'll see it you spend the rest of your life in jail."

"It's no good," Neji answered coolly. "I'm already detained in a mental prison."

* * *

><p>"Sasuke."<p>

He turned around and waited for Shikamaru to catch up to him – it took quite a while; damn his leisurely pace – before resuming walking. "What's up, Nara?" he asked in a voice only a few touches short of a snarl.

"You heard Tenten got transferred to the psycho ward, eh?" Shikamaru guessed.

"She prefers to call it 'psychiatric hospital'," Sasuke said. "She told me she _offered_ herself for the job. Why she'd want to waste her eight years of medical school and degree on deranged psychotics is beyond me."

"Well, I'm sure she's not too happy about you gambling your pretty face for public safety." He could be so damn witty sometimes.

Sasuke scoffed. "We're a strange pair. She's sometimes _too_ dedicated to her job of 'changing others' lives', though. She sent me away just now so she could continue trying to help that Hyuuga nutcase."

Shikamaru looked perturbed. "She got Neji? You seem awfully calm."

"Should I be worried?"

"I don't think I'm at the liberty to disclose such information, but I'll risk my ass just this once: there are rumors about the murder he committed," Shikamaru said in what was a failed attempt at a stage whisper.

"I know all the details."

"Really?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow skeptically.

Sasuke cleared his throat worriedly. "What?"

Eyes wide, Shikamaru glanced around once before leaning in.

"He's dangerous, Uchiha. They say he not only murdered that man, but his ex-girlfriend as well because she irked him. Apparently, she nagged him, he shattered, and he killed her without a moment's thought. If I know Tenten, and I do, she's a nagger, Sasuke."

He refused to believe it.

"I'd tell her to be on her toes or he's gonna kill her."

* * *

><p><strong>heartbeat: <strong>And there you have it! Neji is a deranged, psychotic, cold-blooded killer and Tenten is his therapist.

More plot hints in the next chapter, many, many plot hints!

Please **REVIEW** because you all are my motivation! Constructive criticism appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**heartbeat: **Chapter 2! Happy spring break! Enjoyy!

**disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>IRRATIONAL 2<br>**_He's only got his fingertips.  
><em>_He's losing his grip on reality.  
><em>_He's slipping a little more with every day._

* * *

><p>"Ah, Tenten-san," Hinata called, taking quick steps in order to catch up to the brunette in front of her. "Tenten-san!"<p>

"Hello, can I help you?" Tenten placed one hand on her hip, an involuntary but intimidating habit that she had acquired after years of dealing with supposedly-impossible people. Of course, it was late and visiting hours ended a long time ago. She sneaked a peek at the clock. Sasuke would be out of his mind with worry, that overprotective bastard.

Hinata stopped short and bowed quickly but did not straighten up. Instead, she remained doubled over, her clenched fists digging into her knees, her body racking with uncontrollable sobs.

Tenten stood there, bemused. Had she really spent so much time with psychotics that she had lost her social aptness when dealing with _normal, regular_ people? When had the uncommon become the common – the insane become the sane? Lord help her, she had no idea what to do to console the poor girl.

Luckily, Hinata managed to compose herself enough to blink up at Tenten with teary eyes and offer an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry." She hiccupped. "I've always been…rather dramatic."

"It's…fine." Tenten's senses were alert, trained into a mistrusting habit of anticipating a violent outburst or an emotional breakdown. Hell, she didn't know how to interact with others.

Had she turned into one of the insane?

"Neji, Neji-nii-san, he's…my cousin." She hung her head in shame. "Please, help him get his life back."

_He hasn't lost his life!_ Tenten felt like screaming. _Just because he's troubled doesn't mean he doesn't have a life! Psychos are people, too!_

Rather, she plastered on a fake smile. "Of course, I'll do everything in my power to help Neji-san."

"Just a word of advice," Hinata added, lowering her voice significantly, "even before the…the…the…well, you know, the _incident_, he was never a patient person. And he's _strong_." She fumbled with the sleeve of her blouse and showed Tenten a long silver scar that ran from her shoulder to her elbow. "We were twelve," Hinata explained, "and one day at the wharf, I accidentally ran into him and so he pushed me off the dock and onto the rocks below.

"In school, he'd pick fights with the upperclassmen, juniors, seniors even, when he was only a freshman. About what, I never found out and his opponents were eerily quiet after their loss. But he was good-looking, smart, and came from an honorable family so everyone overlooked his aggressive tendency." Hinata shook her head quickly and her audience – Tenten – remained silent, making mental notes about her patient's background.

"He graduated a year early and received a full ride to one of the best business schools. He was reserved, well-mannered, polite, and didn't make much of a habit out of alcoholic comfort. Right after earning his MBA, he was offered a part-time job to manage a small retail company that sold garments designed by up-and-coming designers." Here, she paused her narrative to glance around the hallway nervously. Tenten did the same, as Hinata's behavior started to scare her.

Hinata opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it, looking over Tenten's shoulder at something truly horrifying. With a squeak and a hasty apology and a good-bye jam-packed into one quick fragment, Hinata ducked her head and walked away from Tenten.

Insanely curious at this point, Tenten sighed regretfully and turned around to see what, or who, had frightened her storyteller so much.

"She ran away as if she was terrified to see me," the man joked flippantly, his loud blonde hair hurting Tenten's eyes. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, by the way. Hinata's my…well, friend…we'd be more but her cousin kept threatening me. So, uh, how's he holding up in there?"

Tenten blinked a few times. "Diagnosing too early would cause misguided and biased judgments. But, what I can say is that he's still got some form of grip on reality."

_Only his fingertips; at least he hadn't let go completely._

_But…he's slipping._

"I'm Tenten, Neji's psychiatrist." She held out her hand, trying not to wince when the exuberant blonde pumped her hand up and down excitedly and massaging it behind her back once he had let go.

"I know. Hinata told me she was going to come find you and talk to you about something."

She nodded. "Yes, she was telling me about Neji's background and the events leading up to the, ah, the murder."

Naruto's eyes flashed momentarily with an unknown glint. "Did she? What did she say? Nothing incriminating, I hope?"

Tenten eyed him carefully, her trained eyes picking up behavioral signs. His forehead gleaned with a thin layer of perspiration and the fingers on his hands were twitching every now and then. He was nervous.

"Who do you think she'd implicate?"

The carefree laughter disappeared from his countenance and was replaced by irritation, annoyance, and…fear? "Never mind," he said quickly, giving her a look that quite clearly said that there would hell to pay if she ever brought the subject up again. "She made a promise and Hinata always keeps her promises."

He gave her carefree wave goodbye and walked past her. "I'll see you around, eh, Ten-chan?"

She stiffened at the use of such a familiar suffix but nodded quickly. "Certainly."

By the time she gathered all her belongings and handed over her duties to the nighttime staff – it would be her shift next week – it had already begun to thunder, droplets of rain belting against the hood of her car.

Tenten fumbled with the key and started the engine, snapping on the headlights only to see a figure standing in front of her car, the lights giving his features a satanic look.

She screamed.

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes scared her. Blue as they were, they no longer reminded her of warm, summer skies and cool, ocean water. Instead, they were like icicles, daggers of ice, cold, unmoving, relentless.<p>

She shivered despite her warm coat.

He would not unlock the car and let her out. She looked out the window desperately at her home, a mere few steps up the driveway, the porch lights twinkling invitingly through the rain-splattered glass. She knew what was coming.

"What did you tell her?" Naruto's voice was low, an attempt to sound stoic but she could hear his voice trembling.

"N-nothing." Hinata looked away.

"You'd better be right."

She licked her dry lips. "I am."

A whisper.

"You know what would happen if you told her," he went on to say.

She nodded, feeling faint.

"You have nothing to fear," Naruto reassured her kindly, "as long as you keep your mouth shut. I'd rather die than see you get hurt."

"H-Hai."

He sighed and unlocked the door, passing over an umbrella. "You can go. I'll pick you up for work tomorrow at seven."

"Bye, Naruto," she murmured, accepting the umbrella and stepping out into the freezing rain.

* * *

><p>Ino stood in the subway station, holding onto her little boy's hand, checking the clock frequently.<p>

_11:32_

The clock was wrong. It had to be. It had been 11:32 for at least five minutes al-

Oh.

_11:33_

She sighed and smiled fondly down at her son, with his big dark eyes and spiky hair that just wouldn't, couldn't, be tamed. Many a brave brush and comb had snapped in half, lost bristles, or simply given up when it came to tackling his hair. She knew he had inherited it from his father.

She was secretly glad that her son had gotten his father's good looks. Even when they weren't dating, she'd always admired his casual aloofness and offbeat charisma from afar. Thank god that was the extent of their likeness, though.

"Tetsu," she cooed, "are you happy to finally meet Daddy?"

His dark, dark hair was gelled up into little points and his smile looked better on him than on his father – not that his father smiled much. "Daddy?" he repeated quizzically, cocking his head.

As always, Ino withdrew a photograph of her child's father whenever he was brought up as a sort of visual aid for Tetsu. It was taken five years ago, a month before she had realized she had gotten pregnant. She could be defiant as she wanted to be, but she could see in his eyes that he was already planning on leaving her. Having a lifelong fear of rejection, Ino had left him before he could leave her.

"Oh," Tetsu breathed quietly, reaching out to take the photograph from his mother's hand and stroke his father's pictorial hair.

Ino looked around the station for a while. "It's the first time he'll get to see you," she said quietly.

_He doesn't even know you exist. He thinks…I got rid of you, years ago._

The last thing he had said to her was that it would make her life easier if she just got an abortion. Ino had been horrified by his cruelty and immediately decided that she would have his child, just to spite him for wanting to leave her.

"Lazy ass," she muttered quietly so her son wouldn't hear.

As the doors to the subway opened as the train slowed to a stop, Ino grabbed onto her son's hand and their suitcase before strolling into the almost empty car. In a little over twenty-four hours, Tetsu would celebrate his fourth birthday and finally get to meet his father, no matter how reluctant he might be.

* * *

><p>Tenten tried to calm her racing heart but adrenaline was coursing through her veins.<p>

_Who's standing in front of my car?_

Slowly, she reached into her purse and latched onto the small pocket-knife that she carried around for safety measures, watching the figure as it took slow, unsure steps around to the driver's side of the car. Tenten eyes widened, though, when she recognized who it was.

"Neji!"

Tenten unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door into the freezing rain, thoroughly unnerved by the Hyuuga's cool expression and blank white eyes, his whole body soaked.

"Holy…how the hell did you get out here?" she demanded, steering him back into the psychiatric hospital, going through all the possibilities in her head. Fugouri Psychiatrics was a high-facility hospital. It was near impossible to sneak out without being stopped by a guard or staff.

Suddenly, she blanched.

He was in here because of a murder. What if…?

"Hey, hurry up, Hyuuga," Tenten snapped, opening the door to the waiting room.

They tracked in bucketfuls of water and the receptionist looked up suddenly. "Tenten? What the hell?"

"I could ask you the same question, Hisoka!" She eased Neji into a plush armchair and gave him a warning glare, spinning around to chew out the receptionist. "Are your eyes working properly? Your ears? Are you _stupid_ enough to have a resident _sneak _past you and not notice? Especially one who is injured and requires a long stay in the infirmary! Hisoka! What is your damn problem?"

Hisoka's eyes grew wide as they landed on Neji, his soaked hair hanging limply around his face and droplets of water running down his neck. His cuts would have to be redressed to avoid infection. "Is he, is he, a resident?"

Tenten narrowed her eyes dangerously. "No _shit_. Do you what could've happened if I hadn't found him?"

_Crimes._

_Murders._

_Lawsuits._

_The closing of Fugouri._

She forced herself to regain her composure and massaged her temples, smoke drifting out of her ears every so often. "Hisoka, just get him back into the infirmary." Tenten watched as Hisoka moved unsurely towards Neji, who glared at her.

Suddenly fearing for her colleague's safety, Tenten stepped in between them and frowned. "Never mind, you've done enough today," she said coldly, trying to hide her concern so as not to alarm both Hisoka and Neji. "I'll take him back to the infirmary."

Tenten closed her hand around Neji's upper arm, ignoring his obvious flinch, and took him through the door that led to the facilities hidden from the public eye for the residents' privacies.

"I'm normal," he informed her suddenly.

"No, you're not." Bluntness was second nature for her.

"_She_ thought I was normal," Neji insisted.

"Hisoka?" Tenten shook her head.

He nodded and scowled. "She thought I was a visitor and told me that my visits greatly boost the residents' morale."

"Well, she's an idiot."

She flicked on the light in Neji's infirmary room and instructed him to lie down. He did after a moment's hesitation and he watched her as she called a nurse into his room to redress his wounds. When she was done, Tenten rounded on her patient, her hands on her hips, and gave him the most intimidating look she could muster.

"Now, mister, do you want to tell me why the hell you followed me outside?"

He blinked. "I don't like it here."

"It doesn't matter. You have to stay here. Here is better than jail," she added quietly.

"I think jail might be better." Neji closed his eyes. "Or Hell."

"It doesn't matter," she repeated. "You are going to stay here because the government demands it."

At that moment, Sakura entered with a roll of fresh gauze and stared awestruck at Neji's wet body. "How the hell did you get so wet?"

"The rain," Tenten answered flatly, shooting down any further inquiries from Sakura with a look in her eyes. "There's no need for any other explanation."

Adopting a professional air, Sakura began undoing the bandages on Neji's forearm and glared at him when he glared at her. "You have no say in this, Hyuuga-san. What you did was incredibly stupid. Not only did you risk infection, you also ventured outside the hospital walls, a clear violation of protocol. If an officer had found you, they would have never allowed you back inside Fugouri."

"Save the lecture. I don't need to put up with anymore shit right now." Neji closed his eyes.

Pursing her lips unappreciatively, Sakura clucked with her tongue and finished wrapping his wounds with fresh bandages. "I think you'll be able to return to solitary confinement tomorrow and I think the straitjacket should fit over the bandages quite nicely, don't you think, Neji-san?"

After Sakura had left, Neji turned to Tenten, who was standing in the corner with her arms crossed, and smirked. "Damn, she's a bitch."

"It's part of the job requirements. You have to be a bitch or a jackass or a douche to work here." She strode across the room and flicked off the lights. "I'll see you tomorrow, Neji-san." Tenten locked the door behind her.

* * *

><p>Sasuke looked up when he heard the apartment door unlock and slowly swing open. He had been sitting in the dark for at least an hour, wearing only a pair of striped pajama pants, and the bright fluorescents from the hallway blinded him momentarily.<p>

And then Tenten's figure blocked the light as she crept in carefully, thinking that he was already in bed and asleep. Her eyes widened when he turned the lights on suddenly and she smiled innocently.

"Hey," she whispered, setting her bag on the table and leaning down to give him a demure kiss on the cheek. "You didn't have to wait for me."

"What time is it?" he asked gruffly.

"Ah…" Tenten glanced at the analog clock hanging over the stove. "It is…a quarter to one."

"You're late."

"I know."

She took the seat beside him at the table and waited patiently as he searched for the right words. She hoped he wouldn't scream or yell or overreact; her job supplied her with plenty of that.

"Tenten, do you know…what Neji's crime was?" Sasuke finally asked.

"Murder," she answered immediately, "I'm only assigned to the hardcore cases."

"Any details?"

"The Director wasn't too clear, but that's a good thing," Tenten argued. "A good helper is an unbiased one, one who doesn't judge and only thinks of bettering the patient's future."

Sasuke rubbed his temples, thinking, not for the first time, that his girlfriend had chosen the most insane job there was. Her life was at risk daily, what with her dealings with serial killers and severely depressed suicide attempters and irrational drug addicts. But he knew she loved the rush and would not give up her job even if it meant saving her own life.

"He…killed his girlfriend, Tenten."

She was silent. "_Ex_-girlfriend, I think, is the proper label."

"It's not funny," Sasuke snapped when her eyes twinkled with laughter.

"Nor is it something you should worry about," Tenten countered. "It's not like I'm his girlfriend."

Sasuke didn't say anything but she understood.

"You're_ jealous_," she laughed. "You're jealous of a convict! Don't be ridiculous, Sasuke."

He did not take kindly to ridicule and headed for the bedroom abruptly, throwing one last morsel of advice over his shoulder. "And you, Tenten, don't get killed."

* * *

><p><strong>heartbeat: <strong>More drama as the plot thickens!

What did Hinata promise Naruto?

Ino has a son? I put lots of clues in there to help you all figure out who it is. ^^

Please **REVIEW** if you want a Chapter 3! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!


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